Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1887-06-22
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
A Visitor from Eureka I'm Ruby
Valley Meets with an Adventure
He has n Talk with n Soldier
Who has been Dead Many Years.
CAVE CREEK, RCBY VALLEY,
ElIAa-. Iaa L. 1901

CAVE CREEK, RUBY VALLEY,
Elko county, June 16, 1887.
EDITOR SENTINEL: / wish to inform
the editor of the SENTINEL, as we'll Its
numerous readers, of q very remarkable
occurrence, or rather two extraordinary
events, which may by ONE incredulous
or skeptical people be considered as among
the impossible, and the relation Of them
absurd or simply fiction; but I assure you
that what 1 am about to relate actually
occurred. AS preliminary to what l con-
slider the marvellous part Of this letter. I
will state q few circu instances, which all
old timers in this county know to be true.
In 1923 the Government built q fort at
the south end of Ruby Valley, to protect
the emigrants on the old overland road.
The soldiers remained there for several
years. Not long after being stationed
there they heard of the wonderful cave,
the sound Of whose rushing waters l
d distinctly hear as / pen these lines, u
they at once determined to visit and ex-
plore it. About half a dozen Of the men
obtained a leave OF absence of Col. Jerry
Moore and visited the cave, ten miles dis
tant from the fort, but they found after
going in q distance of about so yards that
the cave got wider and the water deeper,
80 deep that they could proceed no fur
Their without a boat. So they went back
to their quarters and Immediately com
menced the construction of q small boat.
They made it in sections, and put it TO-
gether inside the cave, as the hole by
which entrance is gained is 80 small that
there is only room for one man to enter
at a time, and q boat intact could not be
got through. To get into the cave at all,
or at least the main portion of it, q person
must climb up a rugged, rocky incline
about 40 feet, and then go feet
first drought q small o%rifice, and then
climb down the same kind of an incline
the same distance to the water. After the
soldiers had completed their boat they
vent up again. launched it, and up stream
they went. They had some whisky along,
and elated at their success as boat builders,
n~avigators and explorers, they, or the
most of them, INDUCED quite freely.
Upon going about 800 yards the cave ap-
parently came TO an end-a perpendicular
partition of rock came down from the
roof, which stopped their further progress,
and the water boiled out from under this
partition. They tapped this rock, and it
sounded hollow, and they all had no
doubt that beyond this thin wall the cave
continued. One Of the men, more dar-
ing or reckless and perhaps more inebri-
ated han the balance, proposed that he
would dive into this seething torrent and
gain the surface Of the water beyond the
wall. He was ~sdmonished not to make
the attempt, but in vain. He made the
plunge. His comrades waited in breath
less anxiety for about five minutes, when
the water brought him back q corpse.
Now comes my experience in this mys-
ferrous cavern. Last Winter / was out at
Mr.. Tom Shorts a long time, and he and
| used to come here frequently to hunt
ducks and geese. One very cold day in
January we were going out to hunt in
different directions, but close together. l
wanted the dogs 90 go with me. as he had
rubber boots and | had none. This be
would not permit, and L got
:" riled" and would not go at
all, and went back to the house.
l then took it into my head that l would
go and explore the cave, which is only
about two hundred yards from the house.
l procured candles and matches. and away
l went. l knew the boat was in there and
carried a dry poplar pole to propel it. The
| outer opening of the cave is large, and the
| daylight penetrates to the place where 1t
is necessary to climb to go through the
small hole. / lighted q candle and climbed
to the hole. By considerable contortion
l got my feet ahead of me and went down
on the inside over the rough and rugged
rocks backward like a crab. until / reached
| the water below. I had but little difficulty
in finding the boat, and when / found it i'm
mediately embarked and poled up stream,
1t seemed to me there that / was out Of
the world. The glistening stalactitet
above sparkled and flashed like 30 many
diamonds; the rushing water beneath me
the pitchy darkness beyond the light Of
my feeble candle, and the roar of the
water ahead as it emerged from beneath
the granite wall, "thrilled me with fan
tastic terrors never felt BEFORE" I arrived
at the wall and was intently gazing on the
spot where the unfortunate soldier made
the fatal plunge, and wondering wha'
could induce a sane man to be so incon
siderate, when to my terror q soldier stood
before me. My hair stood on end. and
could feel a heavy fur cap which l weal
now percepsibly rise up, while shivers rar
over my whole system. The soldier wal
dressed in regular regulation uniform ano
he said: "What are You doing here r
After / had caught my breath l said: &c
amt doing nothing" He said, Get on
of here. then :" 1 said, "I will if yor
will give me a chance =" said he, 60 :
and / went, and did not stand on the or
der of my going either. l said nothing t.
Tom about it when l got back, for l very
we'll knew he would ridicule the idea and
laugh at me. I told some few friends il
Eureka about it and some of them though
| was Joking. but to all such / will say
that they are mistaken, as IL is the exac
truth. And to make myself satisfied tha'
il was no ha~llucinstion l revisited the SAM
place last week. saw the same soldier
and this time had a long talk with him, IL
which he told me the story Of his life an6
how he was ~suffocated for want of air aftel
he got to the surface on the inside of the
wall, and that he was not drowned. ~ /
will give you his story in another letter
Yours in truth and fact, J. t. b..
Postal Miscarriages.
A letter was received yesterday at oui